


Got No Time To Catch My Breath

by missvega



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Bisexual Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Fluff, Jealous Luke, Love Confessions, M/M, No beta we die like Sunset Curve, Oneshot, Pansexual Luke Patterson (Julie and The Phantoms), alex/willie mentioned, reggie wearing eyeliner, switching POVs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missvega/pseuds/missvega
Summary: “Hey guys, ready to head over there?” Reggie took a few steps towards them and that’s when Luke noticed. He had eyeliner on. He had eyeliner on and he looked good. Not that he didn’t always look good. And not that Luke paid particular attention to how his bandmate and one of his best friends looked, nope, not at all.or, Reggie wears eyeliner and the night doesn't go as expected.
Relationships: Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 257





	Got No Time To Catch My Breath

**Author's Note:**

> hiiii this is my first fic for this fandom even if i started two other ones before this. i hope y'all like it!
> 
> also, this is dedicated to me la, who is the best person ever and i love her very much and this is how i show it <3

“Julie, are you sure this is a good idea?” Reggie started wringing the flannel tied around his waist.

“Relax. You’ll look great.” Julie smiled at him. “Plus, if you  _ really _ don’t like it, we can take it off.” Reggie let out a breath of relief at the assurance but the anxiety didn’t leave him. It’s not like he didn’t want to – because he did – he just felt nervous about it. He hadn’t changed his style since he started dressing himself. There was a sense of comfort in his static appearance that he didn’t like messing with. What if he didn’t look good? What if he looked stupid? What if people made fun of him? What if  _ Luke _ made fun of him? It’s not like they didn’t tease each other about their styles, but it was all in good fun. What if this was different though?

“Reggie.” Julie placed her hand on his shoulder and bent down, her face appearing next to his in her vanity mirror and snapping him out of his thoughts. “It’s just a little eyeliner. It’s not that big of a change,” she said easily, like she was reading his mind.

“Yeah… I know, it’s just…” he trailed off, his eyes darting down to his hands, still twisting the black and red fabric.

“It’s just…?” Reggie sighed and closed his eyes.

“Nothing,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m ready.” Julie raised her eyebrow in a silent question, but when Reggie didn’t answer, she nodded her head.

“Okay. Turn around and face me.”

  


Reggie thought putting makeup on was easy. He didn’t think it would be so hard to “ _ just keep your eyes open for two more seconds, Reggie _ .” But they eventually got it done and Julie somehow managed to only have to clean up smudge marks four times. Julie nudged his shoulder lightly to signal to him that he could face the mirror again and she made a small "ta-da" sound when he did.

He looked… different. Not  _ bad _ different, just different. Reggie brought a hand up to his eyes instinctively but was stopped by Julie.

"You'll smudge it, and while that is a way you can wear it, let's try it like this first." Reggie nodded and examined his reflection again. The dark eyeliner contrasted with his pale complexion, bringing a focus on his green eyes that wasn't there before. He looked like all those pictures of punk musicians Julie showed him when he first brought up the idea. 

"Do you like it?" she asked softly, and Reggie knew she was asking if he still wanted to wear it.

"It'll take a little getting used to, but yeah," his face broke out into a smile and Julie's did the same.

"Okay!" She clasped her hands together. "As much as I love you being here, I still have to finish getting ready, so if you wouldn't mind…" Julie motioned her head toward the door.

"Oh! Right. Thanks, Julie." Reggie gave her a quick side hug and poofed to the studio, where he assumed Luke and Alex would be.

  


Luke was tuning his already perfectly tuned guitar as he and Alex waited for Reggie. The three of them always headed to the venue early just because they could, and it gave them something to do other than sit and fiddle with their instruments while waiting for Julie, like Luke was doing now. 

“Dude,” Alex placed his hand on the guitarist’s shoulder, pulling him back to reality. “He’s just with Julie, relax.”

“I know.” Luke placed his guitar next to him, leaning it against the side of the couch, and began bouncing his leg instead. He’d never been one to worry – after all, that was Alex’s thing – but ever since their run-in with Caleb before they played the Orpheum, Luke was anxious whenever he couldn’t see his friends. He knows that if something was  _ actually  _ wrong, he would feel it, their bonds being that strong. But that doesn’t stop the other part of his brain from thinking of the worst case scenarios. He’s barely okay when Alex leaves to hang out with Willie. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s alright.” Alex had a small smile on his face, and Luke couldn’t help but relax a little. Suddenly, there was a soft sound and a bright flash and Reggie was in the studio with them. He had an easy smile, one that made Luke’s heart flutter, and a light blush on his cheeks. Luke thought he looked cute like that.

“Hey guys, ready to head over there?” Reggie took a few steps towards them and that’s when Luke noticed. He had eyeliner on. He had eyeliner on and he looked  _ good _ . Not that he didn’t always look good. And not that Luke paid particular attention to how his bandmate and one of his best friends looked, nope, not at all. Luke felt his voice catch in his throat and he was unable to say anything, but thankfully, Alex replied for the both of them.

“Yeah, we were just waiting for you.” The drummer looked over to Luke, who nodded along, despite not fully listening to what he was saying, as he was too focused on staring at Reggie’s face. He couldn’t stop himself, he was absolutely  _ entranced _ . Alex nudged him sharply in the side and gave him a knowing look.

“Uh, yeah,” Luke said dumbly, his voice weak. He cleared his throat and tried to gain some semblance of confidence again. “You look great, Reg.” Reggie flushed slightly and a proud smile appeared on Luke’s face. He loved when he could make Reggie blush.

“Thanks.” The bassist looked down at his hands, fidgeting with his flannel again. Luke wanted to reach out and grab them, run his thumbs over the back of his hands. But he restrained himself, and instead walked over and slung an arm around Reggie’s shoulders.

“Now let’s go rock this gig!”

  


The set went fantastic and the crowd loved them, which is one of the best feelings in the world if you were to ask Luke. And now, after Julie saved them from Caleb’s curse, they could be tangible after they played for a while. They could soak in the applause and enjoy the atmosphere, even if it takes some getting used to after they went so long without much social interaction outside of the other members in the band. Alex was never one for big crowds. Sure, he could  _ play  _ in front of them, but being a part of one is much different. He would usually stick backstage and talk with Willie when he was able to watch one of their shows. Other times, he would just watch other people and their conversations. Luke, on the other hand, thrives in these situations. He loves being able to talk to other people who are as passionate about music as he is. Reggie isn’t as much of a social butterfly as Luke, but he enjoys walking around and being around other people, even if he doesn’t necessarily talk to them. And Julie always ended up with Flynn backstage, talking to anyone who might want to sign the band or give them future gigs, but she didn’t mind. 

And that’s the exact situation they find themselves in now. Reggie was wandering throughout the crowd, just enjoying the presence of other people around him, when he felt something on his upper arm. It was so soft, he barely even registered it, but he heard a voice say “excuse me” behind him. He turned to see a teenage girl with blonde hair styled into a messy bun with her hand still resting on his bicep.

“You were really good tonight. Like  _ really _ good.” Reggie grinned at the compliment. “I’ve seen a few of your sets and I’m, like, a huge fan.” She took a step closer to him, and he noticed that she had yet to take her hand off of him. “You’re my favorite.”

“Um, thanks.” Reggie rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He was never really great with taking praise, and the close proximity of the girl didn’t help. When she pressed her body against his, he stepped back slightly, trying to put some distance between them. "I need to, uh-"

He was cut off as the girl very obviously repositioned her shirt, bringing the already low neckline of her shirt lower. His face blushed as he hurriedly looked back up. She brought her other hand to his chin, and ever so slightly motioned him to look back at her. Her half-lidded eyes were looking at his face hungrily. He couldn't stop staring at her. She moved her hand from his chin to rest on his chest, and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“And you look so hot right now.” She pulled back and glanced down at his mouth, her bottom lip between her teeth. In a bold move, she slowly inched forward until her lips met his. Reggie didn't pull away immediately, too stunned that this was happening at  _ all _ . Her mouth was soft and had the slightest taste of cherry and all Reggie could focus on was the way it felt. It wasn't a bad kiss, not that Reggie had had many before he died, but he didn't want to kiss her. After getting over the initial shock, he moved his head back, and placed his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her back a little.

Reggie’s heart was racing. He desperately wanted to get out of this situation, desperately wanted some excuse. The world around him was getting very warm and it felt like everybody suddenly got a lot closer to him. He looked past the girl and noticed Luke coming closer to them, pushing his way through the crowd. Reggie’s attention was brought back to the girl in front of him as she started running her finger up and down his chest.

  


All Luke could see was that damn kiss.

He saw Reggie in the sea of people and started to make his way over to him but was stopped in his tracks the moment he saw that girl’s hand on him. He could tell Reggie was getting uncomfortable and Luke’s skin crawled as she just kept touching him. He was helpless to stare as the girl got closer – got  _ handsier _ – until she kissed him. She  _ kissed _ him. And that was the final straw for Luke. He finally convinced his body to move and got close enough to hear the girl speak.

"Want to get out of here?" She asked with a smirk on her face.

“No, he doesn’t,” Luke said before he could stop himself. Both of them turned toward him, and Luke swears that a wave of relief seemed to go through Reggie.

“I don’t remember asking  _ you _ .” The girl’s face turned into one of annoyance but she quickly recovered her charm and focused on Reggie in front of her. “I think we should go somewhere more private.”

Luke knew Reggie could handle himself, hell, Reggie might even want this, but he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t want to even think about Reggie being alone with this girl. He didn’t want to think about Reggie being alone with  _ anyone _ . So he stepped beside Reggie, placing his arm around the bassist’s waist and pulled him close. Reggie’s eyes widened in surprise for a second but he didn’t pull away. It might’ve been Luke’s imagination but Reggie seemed to relax in his hold. The girl’s hands dropped to her sides as she stepped back in shock.

“ _ I _ think you should leave.” Luke retorted. The girl looked at Reggie again, obviously looking for some kind of help from him, and, after receiving none, scoffed a “whatever” and stomped off. Luke watched her leave the building with what he assumes are her friends, and turned back to look at Reggie, only to find him staring back. It was then that he realized that he was still holding Reggie close to him, his hand resting on his hip.

“Oh, sorry.” Luke removed his arm around him and moved to be in front of his friend. He knew Reggie wasn’t his, and he had no right to step in between Reggie and this girl, but it felt so  _ nice _ to just hold him like that – to pretend that he  _ could _ hold Reggie like that. “I don’t know why I did that.” He let out a nervous chuckle, hoping that the bassist wouldn’t be mad at him. Luke 

“It’s okay.” Reggie was quieter than usual and a slight blush was creeping on his cheeks. “Thanks, actually. For doing that.”

“Yeah, of course.”

“And, um, I actually didn’t mind it.” Reggie was fidgeting with his flannel again, staring down at his hands. Luke didn’t resist this time and placed his hands on top of his. The other boy immediately grabbed onto them, messing with the rings on Luke’s hands instead. A smile crept onto the guitarist’s face.

“Good.” There was a pause before Luke spoke again. “I do know why I did that, by the way.” Reggie looked up, meeting Luke’s gaze, and  _ god _ , Luke swears he could get lost in those beautiful eyes.

“Why?”

“I didn’t want you to go anywhere with her.” Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his head tilted slightly to the side. “With anyone, actually.”

“I… I don’t-”

“I like you, Reg.” Luke cut him off, the sudden urge to just confess his feelings taking over. “Like, really like you. Crazy about you, really. And it hurt to see someone kiss you when  _ I’ve _ wanted to kiss you for, like, ages. So I got jealous and I- I just couldn’t stop myself.”

“Why didn’t you?” The bassist asked softly.

“Why didn’t I what?”

“Kiss me.” Reggie’s face was flushed a deep red but his eyes were locked on Luke’s. A moment passed between them.

“I… I don’t know,” Luke breathed out.

“Do you still want to?” Reggie was staring at him intensely, and Luke found that he couldn’t look anywhere other than Reggie’s face even if he wanted to. He vaguely noticed that Reggie stopped playing with his fingers. Luke glanced down to the other boy’s mouth, and thought for maybe the millionth time about what his lips would feel like against his own. Thought about what he would taste like. Thought about if he would be rough or gentle with his kisses.

“Yes,” he admitted in a whisper, like it was a secret that only Reggie was allowed to listen to.

“Then do it.” Reggie’s fingers intertwined with his own and, well, Luke didn’t need to be told twice. He closed the gap between them, and couldn’t help but smile as he felt Reggie kiss him back. His lips were slightly chapped and it was a little bit of an awkward angle, but it was still the best kiss Luke had ever had. 

  


When Luke started to pull away, Reggie followed him. Reggie didn’t want the kiss to end, not yet. Not when he had been waiting for this for so long. So he brought his hands up to cup either side of Luke’s face, and surged forward, pressing their mouths together again. Luke didn’t miss a beat and placed his hands on Reggie’s hips, stopping him from falling over from his momentum. Reggie made a mental note to thank him later for that, but for now, he wanted to focus on kissing Luke.

He felt Luke’s tongue swipe across his bottom lip and he was about to open his mouth, eager to deepen the kiss, when he heard someone clearing their throat from beside them. The two quickly broke away from each other, and turned to see Alex standing there with his arms folded.

“I’m glad you two finally opened your eyes, but we need to get going. We only have a few minutes left.” He said the last part in a hushed tone and Reggie realized he meant they were going to stop being visible and become full ghosts again. He felt his heart drop but Luke grabbed his hand and smiled brightly, and Reggie felt like maybe he was alive again.

“We can continue this later, alright?” Luke suggested, a mischievous glint in his eyes and Reggie let out a soft laugh.

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

  


Luke didn’t let go of Reggie’s hand until he absolutely had to, which was when they had to pack up their instruments, but even after that, he found himself grabbing at the other boy’s hand as soon as he could. Their fingers slotted together and it just felt so right to Luke – like their hands were meant to hold onto each other. It felt the same way when Luke held a guitar for the first time, and he just  _ knew _ . He knew he was destined to be a musician and now he knows he was always meant to fall in love with Reggie, that it was inevitable.

He figured Reggie had a similar feeling based on the easy smile he had on his face whenever Luke looked at him. Luke couldn’t help but reciprocate the grin, feeling so at ease with Reggie at his side. He pressed a kiss to the side of Reggie’s head, unable to restrain himself now that he knows that he’s allowed to.

“I love you, Reg.” Reggie chuckled and shook his head. “What?”

“Nothing.” He placed his hand on Luke’s cheek, and guided their lips together. Luke could feel the smile against his mouth. “I love you, too.”

“Ugh,” Alex groaned from his place on the bean bag, leaning his head back. “You guys are going to be insufferable, aren’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely. I have to annoy you as much as you annoy me with Willie.” Luke teased with a wink. “Plus, I have a lot of time to make up for.” Reggie laughed softly from beside him while Alex shook his head and got up from his spot, stretching a little.

“Speaking of Willie, I got a date with him. I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone.” And with a soft poof, the drummer was gone. The boys looked at each other, both their cheeks dusted with a light blush.

“So…” Luke started, dragging out the sound, a smirk forming on his face. “Where were we before we were so  _ rudely _ interrupted?”

“I believe I was kissing my boyfr-” Reggie’s eyebrows furrowed together. “Wait, are we dating?”

“I’d like to, if that’s what you want.” Luke looked down at their intertwined hands, noticing that Reggie started to twist the ring on Luke’s finger.

“Yeah,” Reggie breathed out, a weight seemingly lifting off his shoulder at the admission. Luke brought Reggie’s hand to his mouth and pressed a soft kiss there.

“Well, then,  _ boyfriend _ , how about we turn on  _ Star Wars  _ – the original, of course – and I can hold you just like this,” Luke positioned them so that Reggie was tucked into his side, head resting against his chest, with Luke’s arm snaked around his waist, keeping him close. “And we just stay like this?”

“Sounds perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @lukereggies on tumblr if you ever wanna send in prompts or anything!
> 
> to me la, i am so lucky that i got to meet you and even luckier that i get to call you a friend. you mean so much to me and i have no idea what i would do without you. love you lots, and happy (almost) birthday!


End file.
